USMNT fans may be keeping a much closer eye on English soccer team Middlesbrough during the 2026/27 season.
Boro signed former Columbus Crew midfielder Aidan Morris back in 2024 and have now added two more US players to their squad during the 2026 summer transfer window.
Max Arfsten has arrived from Columbus after being of interest to Middlesbrough for a couple of years, while Sebastian Berhalter has signed from MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps.
New Middlesbrough player Sebastian Berhalter ‘was really keen to come to Europe’
Both of the new additions made their competitive debuts for the English club last week when they started in the 1-0 win over Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s Wrexham in the Carabao Cup.
Now, Middlesbrough’s Head of Football, Kieran Scott, who plays a key role in the club’s transfers, has spoken about Berhalter and revealed how keen he was to come to Europe.
Speaking about signing Berhalter on the club’s YouTube channel, he said: “With Sebastian, he had a little bit of what we didn’t have. He had a little bit of quality from set plays.
“He’s a really good technical footballer. Apart from the footballing element, he was really keen to come to Europe. He wanted to come over and show he could do it here, which I liked. His mentality is really, really strong. He comes from a footballing background with his father, and when you speak to him, you see how desperate he is to do well, and he wants to work hard.
“It fits in well with Kim and what he demands from players. And then obviously, as a footballer, I mean, you know, we’ve had a little taste and seen him in the Middlesbrough shirt now, so we’ve seen what he brings.”
Middlesbrough are now set to kick off their Championship season on Saturday, August 15, with a meeting against Lincoln City.
Morris has a ’50/50′ chance of featuring in the game after he picked up an injury recently, manager Kim Hellberg said in an interview this week.
But as was the case against Wrexham, both Berhalter and Arfsten are expected to be involved for Boro this weekend.
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